I have been a professional actor, writer and director in theatre, television and film for more than 35 years. In 2002 I won a Gemini (the Canadian Emmies) for my work on Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. I had previously also been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for another film I worked on. I have been teaching improv and acting for many years. I'm also a soccer coach and a Scout leader.

I trained at theatrical school from ages 8-16 (and have continued to train throughout my career) and they were the best summers of my childhood. Theatre / acting / drama is such a great outlet for young people. If your child/teen has an interest in drama, training is crucial.  It gives them a chance to explore and use their imaginations, but also teaches them valuable lessons about "the human condition."  I have taught improv and acting in various after-school drama clubs and at Scouts Canada camps and meetings for a number of years now. (I also have another popular class on Outschool teaching improv and acting to elementary age kids: Theatre For Kids - Acting and Improv).

Drama is an amazing outlet for stress and anxiety. Sometimes in class those emotions can come in handy and help with scenes. This can lead to deeper discussions about feelings or experiences that can be emotionally recalled to help with a scene. In this way, drama can be quite cathartic. However, to protect children's privacy and ensure we maintain a safe zoom environment, I am ever mindful of steering students away from divulging personal details about themselves. I instead encourage students to engage in an inner dialogue so they can recall and utilize personal moments while keeping them private.